Speeding offences

What are the penalties for speeding?

A Magistrates’ Court may impose a fine determined by your weekly income or £10,000 if the offence occurred on a motorway

Between 3 and 6 penalty points will be imposed on your driving licence if you are not disqualified from driving. The Court can impose a discretionary disqualification of up to 56 days. If the level of speed significantly exceeds the speed limit, for example, driving at 100 mph on a motorway, the court can disqualify for a longer period of time.

Are there any defences to speeding?

Generally, no. Exceeding the speed limit is an offence of strict liability unless you can show that:

Incorrect details on the Notice of Intended Prosecution (NIP)

That you were not driving the car at the time

That you were in an exempted vehicle attending an emergency

Incorrect/absent road signs

The speeding vehicle has been incorrectly identified

Speed camera was not authorised, operating correctly or operated correctly

What can we do for you?

Using one of our lawyers to advance expert mitigation on your behalf will usually have a positive effect on minimising any period of disqualification, the number of penalty points that might be imposed or the financial penalty that will be ordered. We can also advise on whether an exceptional hardship application could be advanced to persuade the court not to impose a disqualification where it normally would be mandatory for example, where you have reached 12 penalty points on your driving licence.